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I-40 closed

I heard that around mile marker 250 I-40 is closed. Apparently at midnight last night 5 tractor trailer including a mail truck collided and burned killing one person. They are still re-routing traffic down rural roads to Hwy 70 (Kingston Pike). If you are expecting a package or planning on traveling I-40 today you might be in for a surprise.

I cannot find any information online about this which is pathethic either on my part or our news agencies or department of transportation. My information comes from a traveler’s account via cell phone.

Update: Ah! Finally found the incident report.

Interstate 40 Incident, Wilson County
Date Last Revised: 6/29/2005 12:46:54 PM
Description: Interstate 40 westbound in Wilson County – Crash at MILE MARKER 239 reported at 12:40:00 AM 6/29/05 and estimated to be cleared by 2:00:00 PM 6/29/05. Westbound traffic is affected with the roadway partially blocked with the LEFT LANE OPEN. Eastbound traffic is affected with rubbernecking delays.
Incident Start: 6/29/2005 12:40:00 AM
Estimated Clearance: 6/29/2005 2:00:00 PM

Wonder if its related to:

Interstate 40 Incident, Davidson County
Date Last Revised: 6/29/2005 12:40:09 PM
Description: Interstate 40 eastbound in Davidson County – Disabled vehicle at MILE MARKER 202 (Mile Marker: 202.0 ) reported at 12:20 PM 6/29/2005 and estimated to be cleared by 12:50 PM 6/29/2005 (Central Time Zone). Eastbound traffic is affected with the roadway partially blocked.
Incident Start: 6/29/2005 12:20:00 PM
Estimated Clearance: 6/29/2005 12:50:00 PM

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AcroBATics

The irony does not escape me that at the same time Batman Begins starts in the theatres that two bats begin patrolling the sky above my house. One will come in very low above our porch. They are fun to watch.

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The end of chocolate

Let’s say you regularly had chocolate as a treat. Maybe not every day but fairly frequently. One day someone comes along and offers you a serving of the best chocolate in the world. But there is a catch. After eating that piece of the best chocolate in the world you can never eat chocolate again for the rest of your life. That means your regular treat would disappear but you would be left with the memory of this fantastic chocolate.

What would you choose?

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Science

Man freezes engine and gets 120 miles per gallon.

And the latest on global warming. "experimental reactor seeks to mimic the way the sun produces energy" I see future space explorers teaching their children, "and this is an unusual galaxy. The only one of its kind and we have yet to explain how those two planets evolved an orbit between the two suns, or why the smaller sun orbits the larger sun just like the 8 planets."

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Regardless of wealth, we all die

“John Walton [No. 11 on Forbes Magazine list of the world’s richest people with a net worth of $18.2 billion], the billionaire son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton and a member of the company’s board, died Monday in a plane crash in Wyoming.”

The plane was an experimental ultralight aircraft with a small, gasoline-powered engine and wings wrapped in fabric similar to heavy-duty sail cloth, officials said.

[source]

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Things I Miss From College

A new theme of memory not regret.

I really enjoyed college. Had I been smarter and worked the system for scholarships or more wisely budgeted my money I could have easily been one of those people that stayed in college for 10 or 15 years.

I broke a lot of boundaries in college. I was experimental and eager to try new things. My curiosity was exposed in many unpublishables, life threatening/thrill seeking experiences, cultural exposure and so on. I was motivated to excel and worked as a desk worker in the dorm, treasurer of the hall government (fixing some impossibly screwed up books), resident assistant, help desk, activist, and undergraduate system administrator to name a few. But the thing I took particular pleasure in doing right and doing well was postage stamps.

Yes, postage stamps. There was something about doing a postage stamp just right that was very rewarding. Knowing the joy and pleasure a person would receive from one of my postage stamps made me want to find better ways to achieve a more perfect stamp. Some folks were content with the way they did post stamps, other didn’t care to do them at all finding the process mundane or even displeasant; I on the other hand was the Jonathan Livingston Seagull of post stamps always seeking a more perfect way! Postage stamps had a bit of self-gratification also because they have a unique flavor on your tongue. At first they were almost acridic but with a hidden sweetness which was almost addictive creating a huge desire for more. The more postage stamps you lick, the more you want. A sloppy stamp just brings no joy. A stamp that is too dry will not reach its goal. Timing is also an issue. Not enough time spent with the postage stamp is like a big, unsatisfying tease to the envelop as the stamp is unlikely to hang around long while too much time could remove all the glue leaving a dry postage stamp also unable to reach its destination. Postage stamps are delicate and being too aggressive can ruin the stamp.

There are also tools for postage stamps and although more precise and often more effective than done by person, I find them impersonable and although appreciated by the postmaster the pleasure is more lopsided to the recipient. Alas, in this busy, electronic age I find myself with fewer opportunities to practice my skills. Perhaps I should pull out my stationary and write a letter.